A CBI special court has set October 22 for passing order on framing of charges against the 17 accused in the 2G spectrum case, after the prosecution completed rebuttal of defence arguments on the Central Bureau of Investigation's fresh charge of criminal breach of trust.
On August 29, Special Judge O. P. Saini reserved order on the charges for September 15, but arguments on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's report on spectrum pricing and the Law Ministry's opinion on the definition of an “associate” company continued past this date. Then, on September 26, the CBI surprised the 17 accused, adding another charge against them of criminal breach of trust — a non-bailable offence punishable with life imprisonment or imprisonment for a term which can extend up to 10 years. This necessitated another round of arguments, which finally ended on Friday.
Concluding his rebuttal arguments, Special Public Prosecutor U. U. Lalit opposed the defence stand that spectrum was merely “electromagnetic waves” and could not be termed “property” which the former Telecom Minister Raja had “illegally” disposed of in connivance with his co-accused.
Defining property required giving it “as wider a definition as possible,” Mr. Lalit said. Property was of different types “which also include right to certain things, licence to certain things, copyright and trademark.”
